There is a writer in South Korea named Kim Jin-wook, who wrote a short story called "Is Leslie Cheung Dead?" 》。 In 2004, the year after Leslie Chang's death, the novel won the 37th Korea Ilbo Literary Award.
At that time, I wanted to read this novel, and I never gave up searching for its Chinese translation on the Internet. It was not until last year that China finally published Jin Jinxu's novel collection "Your Suspicious Recent Situation", which is included in this collection.
In the form of a BBS post, the novel deeply cares about the various aspects of Korean society around the beginning of the 21st century, and uses the death of a pop superstar as a guide, reaching the height of a literary award.
Nowadays, it is not difficult to read the novel, but new expectations have emerged. It is said that South Korea's KBS TV station tried to film and television the novel, and also recruited newcomer actors who resemble Leslie Cheung.
This news dates back to 2005, and most of this film and television project has been lost, but in the tight context of the three years from 2003 to 2005, the literary and artistic ripples caused by Leslie Cheung's death made me feel a complicated and inexplicable feeling.
Why am I so excited to see Leslie Cheung being perpetuated after his death as a cultural symbol that can soothe young men and women in the city? Calmly thinking, I may be happy to see this kind of film and television culture convey to each other.
For example, in the opening scene of the Korean drama "Please Answer 1988", young Koreans gathered to watch the movie "The True Color of Heroes" starring Leslie Cheung; And in turn, this Korean drama is popular among young people in the country. Greeting the sending, I felt a very precious flow.
Korean drama "Please Answer 1988"
This kind of flow, breaking through various restrictions such as nationality, language, and identity, makes our emotions go the same way. For example, Song Zijie (played by Leslie Cheung) in "The True Color of Heroes" shed tears for his daughter and wife, and the crying of Cheng Dongyi (played by Cheng Dongri) in "Please Answer 1988" in middle age and lost his mother became a parting pain between the screen and the screen.
This unity and communion allows human beings to get a little sublimation out of the flesh. To be sublimated, it needs to be conditioned by the export of culture, which depends on unrestricted artistic expression. If what Koreans use to break through the spiritual barrier is the creation of novelists or screenwriters, then what is not restricted on our side is the image of Leslie Cheung.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Leslie Cheung's death, but I've been trying to make sense of it.
When I used to work at a cultural company, every April 1st, I would start preparing an article commemorating Leslie Cheung. On this day, my soul seemed to be pressed into the sea of remembrance of Leslie Cheung, and my hand was completely unobedient, and it could only prepare "Leslie Cheung".
It was as if if I had risen from this sea, the day of April 1 would have been hollowed out. This is April Fool's Day, but any lies and conspiracy are meaningless, and the meaning of this day is tilted towards Leslie Cheung because of a death that no one wants to believe.
Year after year, this tilt does not stop, but gets heavier. That's what I'm trying to understand. What an amazing thing when a person becomes a day, when a day also becomes a person. Why is it Leslie Cheung who can do this, and not other singers and movie stars?
Who is Leslie Cheung?
First thing: Leslie Cheung's acting skills
Compared with the name of singer, Leslie Cheung's actor identity may be more well-known.
For us mainland fans, in fact, few people have actually seen his live concerts, and classic Leslie Cheung songs such as "Love of the Year" and "The Wind Continues to Blow" all exist because of movies such as "The True Color of Heroes" and "Across the Sea".
Over the years, I have been discussing with my friends what Leslie Cheung's acting skills are. I don't think we can deify his acting skills too much because he passed away in such a dreamy way.
Leslie Cheung's only actor trophy
Leslie Cheung's classic role inventory
Leslie Cheung was nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards seven times and Best Actor at the Golden Horse Awards five times before his death, but he only won the Academy Award once for the movie "A Fei Zhengzhuan". And Hong Kong actors of the same period, such as Tony Leung, Andy Lau, and Leung Ka-fai, all outperformed Leslie Cheung in acting awards (of course, some actors surpassed Leslie Cheung after his death).
Before 2010, the performance standards of actors in Hong Kong and Taiwan were definitely able to win or lose by awards. Only Leslie Cheung, even though his acting skills have already touched the edge of the top Chinese performance, he has never been able to receive more awards.
The movie "A Fei"
In my opinion, Leslie Cheung's performance has three aspects.
First, in films such as "Farewell My Concubine", "A Fei's True Story", "East Evil and West Poison", "Spring Light" and other films, it is the Leslie Cheung that fans are most familiar with. He puts himself completely into these movies, and through the characters, you see Leslie Cheung himself.
Movie "Farewell My Concubine"
Second, in comedies such as "East Becomes West" and "Family Happy Events", Leslie Cheung handed over a lively, spoofed, and comedic side. But I always felt that there was a sense of separation between this side of him and himself. He is like a shell or an avatar in these movies, although it is not contrary, but it really does not show his real acting skills.
The movie "East Becomes West"
Third, in non-comedy films such as "The True Color of Heroes", "Different Dimension" and "Gun King" that do not take Leslie Cheung's image as the main body, his performance presents a sense of pull. The script needs to be done by the characters, and it is not so easy to fit with what Leslie Cheung can do under his true temperament. Therefore, these are the movies that test Leslie Cheung's acting skills the most.
Movie "Different Dimension"
However, the movie that tested his acting skills the most was not the best movie. All kinds of mistakes have led him to only win the Academy Award once in his life, which is inevitable regret.
Some people say that Leslie Cheung has actually been relying on devouring himself to obtain acting skills, and his best performances are all playing himself. The controversy continued even before his eventual death. But in the minds of Rong fans, the name Leslie Cheung itself has an indescribable appeal.
The second thing: the death of Leslie Cheung
Lin Qingxia once wrote an article commemorating Leslie Cheung.
In March 2003, Lin Qingxia, Leslie Cheung, and Shi Nansheng met to watch a movie "New York Gangs" directed by Martin Scorsese. That day, Leslie Cheung had just finished cutting his hair. At the end of the movie, Leslie Cheung's hands trembled so much that Lin Qingxia did not dare to make a sound. Leslie Cheung helped Lin Qingxia open the door and sent her to the car, and the gentlemanly demeanor was different from usual.
Leslie Cheung and Lin Qingxia
Shi Nansheng told Lin Qingxia that Leslie Cheung's problem was very big. Lin Qingxia concluded that he was suffering from depression and was going to arrange a famous doctor from the mainland for him, but under the influence of SARS that year, the matter was shelved. Lin Qingxia saw Leslie Cheung again, and it was already a heaven and a man forever.
Melancholia is a very general word, and it seems that any kind of suicide can be put into the category of depression. But what's really inside melancholy? Why can something hidden in the body make people abandon life? Especially such a pop superstar with outstanding appearance, success, and love for his lover like Tang Hede.
Leslie Cheung and Tang Hede
Some people also say that Leslie Cheung has everything, and the huge fame and fortune make him no longer feel the happiness he pursues, which is also very general. What I want to understand is, is there a more subtle, everyday reason? Extract him from his identity as a superstar, in the dimension of ordinary people, is there a "ghost" that caused him to die?
The gloomy and restrictive social atmosphere caused by the epidemic in recent years is so similar to the situation back then, and this impact has long penetrated into everyone's hearts. Three months ago, the wave of infections swept through after the lockdown was lifted, and I was not spared. Looking back on that day, I felt a "different dimension" that I still can't forget.
That day, although my body had recovered from a low-grade fever and fatigue, my heart was completely empty than ever. I had no way to read books or watch movies, and suddenly I felt that nothing was meaningful.
It was a sea of nothingness, I didn't struggle, I didn't sink, I just floated. Later I searched for this symptom and said it was "hollow heart disease". I believe it myself, but in the eyes of my friends, I think it's fantastic, even hypocritical.
For me, there was no pain that day, but it shouldn't have existed. Now, I try to use my day to understand Leslie Cheung's death.
The movie "Spring Light"
The so-called melancholy may really not be tired, not bitter, not painful, not blocked, but empty. This emptiness, suddenly, instantly deprives people of all meaning.
It's a very scary thing that is hard to dissolve in the moment. The songs sung, the plays performed, the people loved, the wind blown, the dreams that have been had, if all of them are meaningless one day, then this is indeed a death disaster.
The movie "A Fei"
At this point, thank you very much for reading my inevitably emotional private text here. I also wondered if on the 20th anniversary of Leslie Cheung's death should be written in more objective, atmospheric and profound words to commemorate him, but I can't forgive me.
I do not want April 1 to become a universal, general commemoration. Fans and fans who love Leslie Cheung gather on this day, and everyone should have a more specific and unique feeling. Leslie Cheung in everyone's heart should be fireworks of different colors.
The movie "Rouge Button"
Leslie Cheung: If there is a day when the end of the world is really coming, I hope to be able to play mahjong with my best friends, like Faye Wong, Carina Lau, and Mr. Tang.
Author| County Howe; Public number| Watch movies and see death
Edit| Riding a rooftop teenager; Please indicate the source of reproduction